It's not your fault. It was important. There wasn't any other way. You had to know, or else you would've--

The muffled, fearful crying in the corner - more of a weak, helpless whimpering - makes you turn to look at what's left of the timid girl whose mind you violently ransacked a few moments ago.

Forcing your way into her mind, into her memories. Ripping through them, tearing them apart with the psychic equivalent of cruelly-hooked slashing claws. Just so you could get at what you needed to see.

Through her own eyes, through the hazy colors of her own memories, you saw the girl cowering in front of you stagger into a bar, ordering drink after drink.

You saw your Warmaster, tall and bladed and grinning, meeting her and talking about a certain blonde Vindicare. A Vindicare with a saint's smile, a sun's warmth and the sweetness of honey in her voice.

Insults and jibes were traded, until the girl herself staggered off again, clearly irate. Stumbling off into an alley, cursing every step of the way. Ignoring the iron-shod footfalls of your Warmaster behind her, and her half-laughed, half-cackled calls.

It was here that the assassins made their presence known.

Dark forms, seeping out of the shadows, shimmering with the tell-tale concealing magic of a Callidus.

Even with her vision blurred and unsteady, Girl A manages to dodge the first blade flying towards her, and ducks underneath the second. The third is shot out of the air with an oversized firearm that had not been there a moment ago, and the wielder of the fourth is killed before they could even charge at her.

Then, a burst of crippling pain. And another. And Girl A is sent crashing to her knees, two blades buried deep into her spine. More and more shadows converges upon her, intent on taking her to pieces. A growled denial, a gun raised, and Girl A prepares to die fighting.

Kharn arrives with the instantaneous death of three of the assassins, all of them bisected at the waist. But unlike the many instances where you've seen your Warmaster slaughter her enemies, no laughter colors her voice, no cackle leaves her lips along with a gleefully-uttered screed of insults. She kills in panicked, desperate silence, black eyes wide and staring, completely focused on rescuing Girl A.

She kills and kills and kills, but the shadows kept coming. As if whoever had planned this had brought an entire rank - no, an entire Officio. More than enough to kill a monster like the Warmaster of the Ninth - or maybe barely enough, as they continued to die with each butchering stroke of Skulltaker's burning blade.

Thirty shadows die before Kharn is struck down. Her sword arm chopped off at the shoulder with a lucky, desperate ax blow - the culprit's skull cleaved in half with a savage retaliatory kick from the Warmaster's bladed feet. She picks up the sputtering, meat-choked hulk of Skulltaker with her remaining hand and kills five more before the most ruinous wound she will ever get bites into her flesh.

A black dagger, stabbed right into her heart, slid between her ribs. Kharn's mouth opens in a surprised gasp, and Skulltaker crashes to the floor, shattering concrete and asphalt. Her free hand - clawed and dripping with gore - scrabbles against the shadow embracing her, attempting to claw its face off. Blood, frothy and black, bubbles through her gritted teeth, trickling down curled-back lips.

You...you didn't bother viewing the rest. You could imagine.

Malal was telling the truth, right down to the last detail. Your paranoia and mistrust debunked, proven to be just as baseless and flimsy as your suspicion of her betrayal.

You should be overjoyed right now, or at the very least, content. You've proven Malal's innocence - both to yourself and to anyone who might ever suspect her.

The only thing you feel right now, however, is cold.

Just a cold emptiness coring you right through.

At the corner of the room, her dress soiled with her tears and the blood from where she'd bitten her tongue during your ransacking of her already-shattered mind - Girl A starts to cry for anyone to save her. A barely-coherent appeal for her Angel to rescue her, to make everything stop hurting.

I guess pre-corruption Madokami was a sort of angelic figure. Maybe the approach of WN(can't spell the damn thing) has caused Homura to somehow subconsciously remember things and Girl A views Malal as an angel because she somehow senses who she is?

>>31821576The problem is that this is not really Homura. Heck, even Chiaki is no longer like that. So it does not really apply.

The second problem is that Deculture wrote in the previous thread (when the rape happened, it was disturbing to read with Girl A begging for mercy) that Yuma was not doing it for noble reasons, but simply to satisfy her personal need to know. So the ends did not justify the means, since the end result was always pointless.

Well partly. I do think the people who voted for this are indeed retards, but the way the story works is that the characters act how we telll them to act, and their personalities are what we say they are.

So yes, in the story, Yuma is now the kind of person that would mindrape a helpless girl to satisfy her personal curioisity. The fact that the players voted for it does not change that basic fact.

Thats how quest threads work. We said Yuma is a mindrapist, so now she is one. Can't turn back the clock.

>>31821627Well we do know that Malal outclasses pretty much everyone when it comes to mindfuckery.So either we watched a genuine memory and Malal did not mindfuck Girl A or she did, reformatted her on the spot and implanted false memories.Either way it was a pointless exercise.Kharn never seemed particularly eager to discuss the topic of Malal with Chiaki, so it could be either way really.

>>31821641Because people work like that. There is no logic behind that, its pure emotion. You see something everyday that reminds of how hard you fucked up you react with spite.

Same reason why some parents abuse their children and threat them like shit. Because they know they are shitty parents the child acting in fear or responding nagetively to the abuse reminds them of how they are shitty parents.

>>31821705Well, he gave us a vote (which was extremely close, which is probably why there is so much conflict about the decision) so no.

Last thread, we got the chance to choose the character of Yuma. Was she the kind of person who would mindrape someone. Or was she the kind of person that would not do something sick like that. We chose she was a rapist (well I voted to leave girl A alone but the majority rules).

We could have chosen that Yuma is not the kind of person who would do that, in which case presumably Yuma would have had other reasons for her bitchiness.

Me too. Since she would essentially be digging through over 1K years worth of memories, most of which would all look basically the exact same, and locked away. Just to find a single 5 min long incident.

>>31821761What I meant was that its a valid reason _in-universe_ for Yuma to feel guilt and then blame her victim, giving a reason for her bitchiness. A disgusting reason, but a reason.

However, in _real life_, the thread where Yuma was a bitch came BEFORE this flashback did, which means that as far as Deculture and the players were concerned, the rape had not happened yet (the vote could potentially have gone the other way).

So unless Deculture can see the future, that was not the original reason for Yumas behaviour.

>>31821816Naah. Pretty sure Girl A would commit suicide on the spot. Apparently when the Three stooges told a past incarnation of Chiaki the whole truth about everything, that incarnation did just that.

>>31821816>Yuma has nightmares with flashbacks of Homu's lifes for the rest of her life>relives the world getting thrashed by WP in a thousand different ways every nightAll this healing.And we haven't even reached WP itself yet.

>>31821849Yeah, she's already depressed and is about to lose her entire psudo-family of calidus, including her own idol who she now probably feels that she has horribly betrayed and let down.1000s of failed cycles on top of that seems like an overload of suffering.

Yeah, that would be a sort of karmic justice I guess. The trouble is that I don't see how it could work. It would instantly reveal who Homura is, and that she is a time/dimension traveller. Presumably Yuma would have told QB.

>>31821891That's why she doesn't get the full thing. Just a mess of confusing images of pain, betrayal and suffering starring quite a few people she recognises - and many she won't, like Madoka - in times and places where they can't possibly be.

>>31821891>>31821899>>31821938>Yeah, she's already depressed and is about to lose her entire psudo-family of calidus, including her own idol who she now probably feels that she has horribly betrayed and let down.1000s of failed cycles on top of that seems like an overload of suffering.

So its merely the hors d'oeuvre on the Nasu/Urobutchi-Scale of healing?

>>31822135Not sure it would create much chaos. In the previous thread it was asked what would happen if Yuma confessed and apologized to Chiaki, and most said that after a beating (like the one Chiaki already gave Yuma), they would have Chiaki forgive.

Chiaki os rather pragmatic. I really don't see her killing off an asset like Yuma put of anger. She'd definitely vent her frustration though, maybe with a beating or kneecapping, and then move on with her life.

>>31822193>make her a twisted villain!I dunno man, mind rape seems like a pretty Murder Mayumi thing to do, it'd fit better to have her as the knock-off tryhard wannabe, the one who doesn't have the skill or charisma to pull off the same edge.

>>31822221>I don't like it when rapists don't have to pay for their actions.Kharn is happily married and expecting twins.Chiaki put Midori's soul gem in alcohol and sexually assaulted her fucking soul against her will. They are now dating.

It's...you can't leave her like this. You can't do what you just did and then leave as if it didn't mean anything. You have to say something. Anything. Just...say something.

You open your mouth from behind your helmet's faceplate, trying to give voice to the very concept of impossibility, to futility - as the reality of just what you did continues to sink in. As the full realization of the sin you've just committed - all in the name of balming your own fucking conscience - finally dawns on you.

What do you say to someone whose trust you just betrayed in the most horrible way possible?

What kind of apology heals a wound inflicted with such cold, unflinching cruelty, to someone who had earlier smiled and talked to you like you were her friend?

...

"I'm--"

One word. One fucking syllable is all you get out before Girl A screams again, not just in alarm but in complete hysterical fear. More empty, half-assembled rifles clatter to the ground as she continues to kick away from you, pressing herself further into the corner she's cowering in, as if desperately trying to put as much distance between the both of you as possible despite already pressing up against the walls.

More sobbed appeals for her Angel to come and stop the monster in front of her from making her forget again. Bloodied fingers and palms pressing against her tightly-clenched eyelids, frantically seeking that one last bastion of calm by just blocking out all sight of you and pretending you're gone. Smearing her face with crimson fingerprints and lining her cheeks with muddy carmine tears.

You close the door to Girl A's quarters behind you, exhaling only after you hear all the locks re-engage themselves automatically. The thick, solid door between the both of you muffling the girl's cries to a sound you can ignore but never forget.

This...no one can know what you did. Not Cavefish, not Kyoko, not Malal. What you did went far and beyond what you falsely accused your Rank Leader of. It was one thing to torture an enemy for information, to use excruciation as a means of supplementing interrogation - but to force your way through an already fragile mind, an ordeal already torturous and possibly fatal on a healthy one--

A sudden beeping sound out chirping out of nowhere very nearly makes you jump out of your suit, and you nervously spit out an epithet as you realize that Malal is calling you. ...Shit. Shit shit shit. ...She couldn't have known so fast, t-that's impossible. Not even she was that good.

You take a moment to compose yourself, to calm your quickened, frantic breathing, and it's here that you accept her call. Praying fervently that your voice wouldn't tremble this time.

"Omegon, how are things going?" Malal greets you without any preamble or hesitation. "Said goodbye to Haruka yet? We're a bit short on time, though, so I'll have to ask you to wrap it up. Oh, and how was Kharn, by the way?"

...Wait, what? Haruka? But you haven't even visited Kharn yet!

It's here, then, that you see the Walpurgisnacht counter at the upper right corner of your retinal display. The display reading 00:01:28:33.

What. WHAT.

You still had the best part of three hours earlier, back in Girl A's headquarters! How did you lose an hour and half by just talking to her?! It was--

to be quite honest it was way worse than rape, she violated the sanctity of someone's own mind when they were at their most vulnerable in an apparently horrifyingly traumatizing way that may or may not have been viciously painful

>>31822407Because it's what most people would do at this point. It also makes for a better story, though I concede that's not a good enough reason to vote for it if it's out of character. I just don't think it is OOC at all.

>>31822441I would've voted against it, wasn't here for the vote, but I'm voting for the lie here. It seems more appropriate for the situation anon. She obviously doesn't want to tell anyone ever let alone 2 minutes after she did it.

>>31822557I figure there won't be any resets. If we get say Kyoko killed and Sayaka witches out as a result, we will have to live with it.

I figure if Chiaki dies, Deculture might bring her back. It has been established that Pinky can do that (Wendy). However I figure that too would have major major consequences that we would have to live with.

>>31822685Now there's a frightening thought Yuan being affected by her influence, corrupted with nothing more than gentle words and kindness. "It's all Muderface's fault. She's going to kill me. I have foreseen it. You have to protect me from her. You've done it before..."

>>31822724Well, even Malal is not totally infallible. No prophecy is. Malal also has an advantage in that she is connected to Madokami and Homucifer, so I would presume she gets more when those things are involved (since she IS Madoka of this universe and all that).

She probably has much less future sight about what someone "unrelated" like Yuma will do. Neither Madoka or Homura ever really had a major connection to Yuma.

>>31822956There's no way to confirm it, and people are unlikely to come out and say it, but just from my position as someone who voted against the mindrip and who views the players as being more responsible for this result than the temporary PC of Yuma.

>>31823052Or she is being a meatpuppet for some self-hating shard of Homu's personality (inb4 all of Homu's personality is self-hating) that got tired of being decommissioned and took her over during the mindfuck.

>>31823031Not the guy you responded to, but Rebellion was great.The original series' ending always felt incomplete especially with regards to Homura's character arc, which was left hanging when her motivation to keep going suddenly up and vanished from the universe.Rebellion was a great exploration of all those hanging questions and plot threads, and a great Act 2 to the story as a whole.Now I can only hope that they get that second season, so we can get our Act 3, and find out where this Wild Ride goes.

You clear your throat a couple of times, before replying to the affirmative. Yes, you...you did visit Kharn. You did, in fact, go down to Silent Room Regalia earlier. And the Warmaster was just like Malal said - dying, and a hair's breadth from Witching Out.

First suspecting your role model of betrayal and subterfuge - and now lying to her? Right to her face?

"Hnh." You hear Malal grunt here, and you could swear you could feel her eyes boring at you through the visor of her own Anima Speculum helmet. As if seeing right through your deception even before you've uttered it, and simply waiting for you to come clean.

"...No change from the last time I visited, then." The Culexus finally speaks up a few heartbeats later, her spiked shoulderplates jostling slighty as she shrugs. "Could mean that her body's started the healing process already. Could mean the exact opposite, too. But at least she hasn't gotten worse."

Y-yeah. Of course. That should be good news at least. ...You're pretty sure the Warmaster will be fine, though. She's like a weed - too hardy and annoying of a nuisance to actually die.

Malal guffaws at that. "Hah! I like that so much, I'm going to steal it for myself and tell it to her face when she's up and about. Snow-shoveling yokel like her'll think it's a compliment, and probably give me that raise I want." She chuckles again, before nodding at you with something approaching approval in her voice. "You know, Omegon, if Walpurgisnacht isn't about to bust into reality an hour and a half from now, I'd step down from Equerry and name you my replacement."

H-huh? Replacement? B-but--

"On a temporary basis, at least. Just to get your feet wet for this role when you actually DO Have to replace me." Malal shakes her head, incredulity coloring her words. "What, did you think I was going to be Equerry forever?"

"It's really either you or Kyoko, you know? But I don't think she'd appreciate it much if I tore the eternal lovebirds apart just because I wanted to retire while I'm still alive." Another gargling chuckle. "But yeah, if all this shit wasn't happening..." She shrugs. "Well, we don't really know what's going to happen when we deploy. Hopefully it'll all go as planned and we won't have to add too many portraits to the Hall of Anamnesis."

Y-yeah. Yeah, of course. You hope so, too.

You close your eyes momentarily, unable to meet Malal's gaze for a second more. It's...it's ridiculous. You can't even see her eyes, but you can't even look at her fucking visor.

This must be what a fucking coward and liar feels like, you think bitterly.

"Anyway, I just called to check up on you. When you're ready, get to the General Assembly Hall - Kharn's finished her speech and the Eversors're filing out. If you hurry, you can catch Kyoko and Sayaka before they leave."

And now you have to make a decision. With the rapidly-dwindling amount of time left, you can only pick one.

[]Go straight to the General Assembly Hall to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka, and meet with Malal.[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823092>their own decisionsYou don't know how voting works do you? I wasn't here last thread and I don't really care what happens to Yuma but I am enjoying the collective I TOLD YOU SO shit going on here

>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823121>Yuma raped Girl A. Thats a fact.Well, thats not literally true, she brutally ripped a memory from the shattered remains of the psyche of a blanked out version of Girl A. But since thats the terminology we've adopted I am basically just arguing semantics there.

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Haruka one last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.Let's confess, at least to someone.

>>31823151[X]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.Will Yuma even see Malal again before it happens?

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.All will be moot in a few hours anyway.

>>31823151>[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.Lying through a visor is one thing. Lying to Malal's face is a different matter.

>[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.More stupid choices to make!

>>31823151>[]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151>Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151[x]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151[X]Run for it and meet Harks one last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823151[X]Run for it and meet Harukaone last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

I can see it now, Yuma hates Murderface because Yuma can't apologize for what she did. Murderface thankfully doesn't remember, but Yuma does and it agonizes her. She did something terrible, something that cannot be undone an the one she did it to doesn't even remember.

There can be no redemption, no forgiveness, and Yuma has to live with that unless she forces chiaki to remember which could just make things worse.

How would the officio react if they found out the last culexus mindraped their warmaster?

I think that is why Yuma hates chiaki, because everyday she reminds Yuma of something that Yuma can't get rid of the guilt of doing. Yuma can't even find sanctuary in being hated, she can only hate herself.

>>31823309>>31823311It's more on the lines of making it worse than what it already was.Yes, her life ALREADY sucked, but now we can add "disobeyed and lied to Malal, aka person she respected most, for nothing" to the list of why her life sucks.

[x]Run for it and meet Haruka one last time. Not being able to say goodbye to Kyoko and Sayaka is a shame, but...you need to talk to someone. Someone who won't judge you and forgive you for what you've done.

>>31823347She is. These are the only fuckups Yuma did, while Chiaki's life as Murderface was a long string of fuckups before we took control over her.It doesn't hit as hard because Chiaki drowned her hate for herself in alcohol and painkillers. Yuma didn't.

>>31823385>This isn't a game, it's collaborative narration. There is no win conditionFuck you, you stupid fuck.Of course this is a game, as defined by having discrete choices which lead to individualized results and consequences. Since choices lead to different and unique ends, some ends will be more desirable than others, and the game is to try to get to an end that is preferred over others, resulting in a matrix of choices and allowing them to be ranked by desirability.

>>31823460Your definition of game can literally apply to almost everything.

The end that I desire is the one with the most interesting story, not the one where everyone ends up happy. You can vote against me in this, but don't tell me that my interpretation is any less valid than your own. I think Yuma is more interesting and narratively solid now that her hands are stained with metaphorical blood that she can't wash off, and it gives a whole new light to her previous scenes in the future.

Basically, stop telling me that I'm having fun wrong and go fuck yourself with a cactus.

>>31823307This anon gets it, Deculture has planned this all in advance. The voting, the suffering, the euphoria, the faggotry, the rage.

Just let it all go, what is done is done. We need to stop slapping each other and start figuring out what it all will mean when the flashback is over.

My fear is that Yuma will fall into despair an the only way to save her will be for chiaki to remember what Yuma did to her, the pain, the fear, the shame, the betrayal, the lying, all of it will come out and cause chiaki some possibly serious mental harm, and cause her to seek d eadly answers, such as who was bitch with the black dagger.

>>31823453...The situation is so out of hand that we've let it be intercepted by the opposing team on their ten yard line and they've just scored SEVEN touchdowns at the same time and they still have possession.

The situation is so out of hand that we have no hands. They left us for the situation and they're having their honeymoon on the other side of the world. We weren't even invited to the wedding.

The situation is so out of hand that it bounced into space and the First Officio is investigating what seems to be a situation shaped hole that has pierced through the Moon.

>>31823545>Any strong emotional reaction from the readers is interesting, nya.

If it was a strong emotional reaction about what happened in the story, I would be fine with it.

Instead its strong emotional reaction people making retarded votes. Its self-baked. Its something entierly different and the fact that I have to actually explain what the difference is just makes me lose my faith in all the people who read this Quest some more.

>>31823619Yeah, this is regrettably true, because anon is REALLY quick to start hurling blame at anon. And that's what happens when people get mad about difficult decisions, it seems like. But if the story weren't affecting them emotionally then this shitstorm wouldn't be happening, I should think.

Well, except for the guys who are talking about the objectively correct choices to make for the ideal ending, or whatever. But I'll keep my opinyans on that to myself.

You're already playing this as a game since you're making choices against your own internal metric of what is interesting versus what is not, trying to get the ending that YOU want. I never said that your interpretation of choices was any less valid than mine.

What I said was that this IS a game, not collaborative narration, because everyone is trying to achieve their ends through votes for choices at points determined by a QM. Collaborative narration would allow any one of us to suggest something completely different, the addition of a character, the removal of one, adding, removing, or modifying a part of the world.That's what the writers of the write-ups do with Deculture, not what we're doing here.

I'm really to say this, but I'll have to pause the thread now! Work really tired me out earlier, and I'm almost falling asleep. I wanted to finish this arc today but it will have to be finished tomorrow! (At least it'll still be Walpurgisnacht somehow, right?)

Thank you for your participation and support for 200 threads so far! I'm really lucky to have everyone reading what I'm writing, and I hope you're having fun just as much as I am!

I don't think we have any writeups tonight, so questions answered before I go to sleep!

>Obama's a shitty president>OH YEAH THEN WHY'D YOU VOTE FOR HIM>But I didn't>ORLY THEN WHY IS HE PRESIDENT? STOP YOUR STUPID WISHYWASHY DOUBLETHINK AND LIVE WITH YOUR DECISIONS BABYI'm seriously at risk of tearing my face with smiling too hard.

>>31823653>But I'll keep my opinyans on that to myself.Alright, you dumb cat, since you can't seem to understand this.A choice can't be objectively correct, because a choice has to be measured against a desired outcome, whether that's toward an "ideal end" or an "interesting end".A choice can be correct if End A is desired, and be incorrect if End B is desired. The people saying that such thought is powergaming bullshit are themselves guilty of the same bullshit, since their goal is to get an "interesting end" and they make their choices based upon that goal.

As for this definition of a game being applicable to just about anything; yes, that's the goddamn point! Most things are games, because interesting choices are being made that lead to individualized outcomes between decision makers.

>>31823848What if people are making choices based on their interpretations of character motivations and personalities, without any regard for whatever 'end' they'll get? Where does that fit in your outlook?

>>31823886Then their metric is based upon how closely the choice they make hews to their interpretation of a character, and their end goal is to have an end that most closely resembles a series of choices that the characters would have made without outside interference.

You can't get away from a goal, because that's always in the intention of a choice you make.

I would have asked for a third revote, but with a shorter time period. I really don't want a repeat of ShowKyuubeyGate, so all really major choices like that will really have to be decided by a proper, countable vote!

Magical Girl Lightning stood over her compatriot, coworker, colleague, friend, etcetera, Magical Girl Liberty. The two of them were agents working for the United States Strategic Services Office (SSO), and their current mission for the day was to retrieve a very particular artifact.

As it stands, the artifacts that they’re occasionally called to retrieve to be put into “special storage” to be examined by “top men” usually fell under archaeological standards. Liberty’s mother would have probably throw a hissyfit over what was done with these artifacts, to Liberty’s silent amusement as she thought of it. Whether it be some fertility idol that actually does enhance a person’s fertility, or a sword said to be lost to time and space reappearing and trying to convince people to wield it, Liberty and Lightning have more or less seen it all.

This was different.

They found it while exploring the darkest reaches of the unstable and ferocious island of Skull Island. It was in one of the older temple ruins in the inner part of the island, just sitting there on a pedestal, lit only by a ray of light beaming from a hole in the ceiling. It was small enough to fit in the palm of Liberty’s hand. The black little egg shaped wonder had thorns out the top and the bottom, and from inside Liberty and Lightning could see it swirl like a dark cloud.

Something about it felt off to Liberty, as if wrong, alien even.

Liberty curled her hand around it, gripping it tightly. “Well, there’s no time to talk about it. We have to get out of here.”

Lightning pointed to the little thing in Liberty’s hand. “Dibs on the money we make from that though.”

“That-“ Liberty stopped herself. Who knows what would happen if she got dragged into this darn argument again. “Come on.”

Liberty led Lightning back down the way they came up the stone, mossy hallway. The old Natives of Skull Island were a mysterious bunch even to the most dedicated historian. Their way of living wasn’t exactly Mayan, nor Incan or Aztec, nor was it exactly cannibal even though they do practice cannibalism, nor was it aboriginal. It was just pure and simple, savage. Skull Island was more or less a recent find, and what Liberty’s Dad had taught her about it, apparently it wouldn’t be a find for long.

Lightning still glanced at the artifact occasionally, as if summing up all the dollars or yen or whatever she used as currency she could get if she sold the thing. Liberty ignored it for now, it wasn’t like it was harming her anyway. Besides, Lightning and Liberty have worked together for a good while, betrayal wouldn’t just come out of the blue like that.

Lightning said, “Strange really.”

“What?” asked Liberty.

Lightning wagged her finger, looking around. “You’d figure that this temple would have some traps or something to keep grave robbers out.”

Liberty said, “Well, think of it like this, Lightning. Would you really be able to design traps that would survive hundreds, if not thousands, of years into the future?”

“You’re asking me?”

Liberty said, “That was a rhetorical question.” There’s a brief pause, to which Liberty adds, “You do know what a rhetorical question is, right?”

With that, their eyes were blinded as they sighted the exit out. There’s always something about seeing the light at the end of a tunnel, as if it were finding your way into heaven. Liberty was no God fearing girl like the rest of her former Girl Scout compatriots. She sung the hymns, but she certainly didn’t pray before she slept or say grace before she ate. Something about being a Magical Girl made you a bit less religious. It sure wasn’t enlightening nor was it euphoric. It just kind of was.

And to that end, they stepped outside to the cocked guns of a platoon of Nazi soldiers. Not just any soldiers mind you, these were soldiers of Hitler’s own Magisch Korps. Huge, hulking troops in black heavy body armor, trenchcoats, gasmasks and helmets. They had assault rifles, anti-magic rifles, anti-magic machetes, everything to combat Magical Girls.

“-Magischtruppen.” Into the ring of troopers walked a woman. She was clad in her immaculate military uniform, an armband with a swastika signifying her allegiance to the Nazi Party of Germany. Her peaked cap shaded her scarlet eyes hidden behind a smart pair of glasses, and between her lips was a fresh cigarette. She smirked, gesturing to Lightning. “You have worked in the Fuhrer’s service before, have you not, Lightning? I would have assumed you would have picked up on the terminology.”

Lightning crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks out at the Nazi girl. “Well, Engelhardt. If you didn’t have like twenty different guys with thirty different names, I probably would have remembered!” She kicked the dirt a bit, walking behind Liberty. “Didn’t even work with you guys that long anyway, should have paid me better,” she muttered.

Liberty said, “Why are you here, Engelhardt? I thought the Nazis were all about burning books and erasing history, not archaeology.”

Engelhardt frowned mocking. “I am shocked, Liberty. I happen to be a good friend of the Ahnenerbe. They’re all made up of very good and well-respected historians of the ancient era. They work hard to prove Aryan superiority unlike you and your mother who simply rob the graves of the old and ancient.” She shrugged, holding her hand out. “I suppose it cannot be helped. Hand over the Grief Seed.”

Engelhardt looked at them as if they had just frenched each other in front of her. “Excuse me? The thing in your hand. The Grief Seed.” Liberty and Lightning looked at each other, still confused. “Are you serious- Do you call yourselves Magical Girls and not know what a Grief Seed is?”

“Yes,” said Lightning.

Engelhardt huffed. “Hand it to me, now.” Liberty and Lightning stepped back, readying themselves. In response, the troopers cocked their weapons, the anti-magic rifles glowing and whining to life. Liberty assessed the situation, they had the drop on her and Lightning. This would get ugly fast and she didn’t know how fragile the artifact was. “You are in no position to argue. Hand it over,” said Engelhardt firmly.

Lightning looked over at Liberty. Liberty looked back, raising an eyebrow. Lightning shrugged, and gestured over to Engelhardt wordlessly.

To that, Liberty said, “Fine.” She underhand tossed the Grief Seed towards Engelhardt, who quickly scrambled to catch it as if were a fine painting of the Fuhrer himself. She dusted herself off, tightening her fist around the Grief Seed, then smiled at two Magical Girls. “Thank you.” She turned around then began walking back into the woods, escorted by a personal bodyguard of two Gegenmagischtruppen. She stopped towards the platoon leader, then looked back at Liberty. “You know the principles of anti-magic, don’t you, Liberty?” Liberty glared at Engelhardt, balling her hands into fists. “Oh, of course, it was your father’s work after all,” she said. She looked over at the platoon leader. “Kill them.”

With that, Engelhardt left. The Gegenmagischtruppen readied their weapons and prepared to fire.

Lightning smirked. “So, it’s about twenty to two.”

Liberty nodded, steadying herself. “Yep.”

“They don’t stand a chance.” Lightning willed her magical naginata to appear, spinning it above her head and then slamming the blade into the ground to the sound of thunder.

>>=[| MAGICAL GIRL LIGHTNING! |]=<<

Liberty pulled her shields from her gloves, spinning them like saws and letting them come to rest instantly, a glimmer of light hitting the star emblazed on them.

The Battle of Agincourt was well known for its one-sidedness. There, the English stopped the French with huge amounts of arrows as the latter came rushing at them on horseback and on foot through a muddy field. Massive casualties for the French ensued, and it still serves today as an important lesson in rushing a superior force that has the advantage even despite outnumbering them.

A Gegenmagischtruppen howled as he rushed at Liberty, anti-magic machete held high over his head. Liberty turned around after bashing one’s skull in, then slid down to a crouch and slammed her shield’s rim against the trooper’s knee to a meaty crunch. The trooper fell over, gripping his leg.

Lightning dropped down from a flash of violet energy, smashing the trooper’s neck with her boot and slicing a charging trooper in half at the chest with her naginata casually. Liberty back-flipped over her and then tossed her shield at a trooper, smashing his rifle in his hands. She tossed her other shield, applying a good spin to it as the shield zoomed and flew right into the trooper’s gut with a loud ping, sending him flying into a tree trunk.

Liberty’s shields returned to her like boomerangs, and then shrunk to buckler size at her command. Lightning looked around, a bit peeved that twenty guys specifically trained to kill Magical Girls just got wrecked by them. Their corpses and body parts all laid on the ground, blood pooling into the dirt.

“Man,” said Lightning. “I was expecting a challenge.”

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Liberty as they stood in the woods. “We have to get that artifact.”

>>31824068They blazed through the woods, hopping over roots, smashing through trees, jumping through branches and shrub. They didn’t have time to admire the long-thought extinct fauna of Skull Island. Not even the killer birds or insects could catch them as they flew past, disturbing the forest and leaving a wake of floating leaves, kicked up dirt, and scorched grass.

The two of them stopped at the edge of a steep cliff, right outside of the forest. Liberty pointed, yelling, “There!”

She pointed across the deep valley and towards the convoy of vehicles moving up the steep narrow mountain road. Everything from armored cars, to tanks, to halftracks and trucks. Thirty vehicles to be precise. Right behind the leading vehicle was a heavy car with Engelhardt sitting comfortably in the passenger seat. Lightning grinned, gripping her naginata at the ready and crouching at a pounce. “Let’s do this!” she said.

Liberty stepped behind Lightning and then brought her shields up. She spun around for a punch at Lightning, bringing the full broadside of her shield at Lightning. Lightning jumped at Liberty, feet first. With a loud ping, she went sailing across the valley like a rocket. She slammed full force into the middle vehicle, an unlucky truck full of troops, sending it flying into the mountainside full force and crushing the men inside. Lightning flashed into the air above her and landed in the bed of a halftruck, slicing and dicing her way through the troops inside casually.

Okay, that was one thing done. Liberty tossed her shields across the valley one by one. Then she jumped, using her shields as stepping stones to get across. At the final jump, she hopped up with great power and landed on the hood of another truck, sending it end over end on top of another truck, sending it out of control and flying right off the road into the valley below. Liberty landed on the road with a dusty thud then caught the next vehicle coming, hopping into the back.

Right amongst a squad of Gegenmagischtruppen armed with shields and stunprods. Liberty held her arms out, and her shields flew back to her wrists. It’s time for a little bit of freedom. They all charged at her in the narrow space of the truck, to which Liberty punched and bashed their faces in. One tried for a stab at her gut with his stunprod, only for Liberty to sidestep, grab him by the neck and toss him under the wheels of the following vehicle.

With the bed of the truck secure, she hopped up onto the cab and then swung the door open, quickly pulling a stormtrooper out and tossing him off the roadside and into the valley. She swung inside feet first, kicking the driver out, slamming him into the mountainside. Liberty quickly found her footing, and then sat up in the driver’s seat, to the sight of the Panzer II in front turning the turret around at Liberty. The autocannon aimed and blasted the cab with a full burst of 20mm armor-piercing high-explosive rounds. Good thing Liberty ducked at the last minute, as the truck’s engine was now ruined and completely on fire, not to mention the cab looked a bit like melted Swiss cheese now.

“Heads up!” Lightning hopped over Liberty’s truck, yelling as she brought her naginata over her head, then landed behind the tank, slicing the tank in half with a burst of violet violent energy. The two pieces glowed red at the cuts as they split off in two different directions, one going off the cliff and the other crashing into the mountainside. The unfortunate crew bailed out end over end. Lightning backflipped over and next to Liberty, grinning. “Impressed?” she asked.

Liberty stood up as the truck began snaking out of control. “I will be if we catch Engelhardt. Let’s go!”

Liberty and Lightning jumped away from the truck, letting it explode violently behind them as they caught the next vehicle, a halftrack right behind Engelhardt’s personal car. Engelhardt raised herself up from her seat, looking to see Liberty and Lightning make short work of the occupants in the halftrack’s bed. She motioned to the four girls in uniform sitting in back, to which they stood and hopped onto the hood of the halftrack. They grinned, drawing their weapons, fine swords and blades glowing with anti-magical energy.

Liberty gritted her teeth, glaring at the one holding the two Knives. “You guys again.”

Liberty hopped onto the other wall, keeping her feet steady as Court Sword and Sabre, the twin girls, drew their weapons at her in identical stances. The two girls slashed and sliced at Liberty’s shield, forcing her onto the back wall as the halftrack shook with every bump and rock in the road. “You could be more!” said Court Sword. “You could be superior!” said Sabre. “You could be one of us!” they both said.

Liberty ducked a slash then uppercut Court Sword off the halftrack and back into Engelhardt’s car. She then shield bashed Sabre back into the bed. To that, Liberty said, “With a performance like that, I’m not keen.” She hopped onto the halftrack’s hood, then skipped across onto the trunk of Engelhardt’s car. “Give up the Grief Seed, Engelhardt!”

Engelhardt grinned madly, standing her seat and holding the Grief Seed in her hands. “Or what, you’ll kill me?” Liberty smacked the rim of her shield into Engelhardt’s chest, doubling her over and dropping the Seed in the backseat.

Liberty scrambled to pick it up, only for Rapier to hop over and slash at her, drawing blood across Liberty’s cheek. Too close. The two fought, throwing punches and slashes, uppercuts and stabs, but neither managing to land a good hit on each other. Rapier chuckled as she brushed her braided ponytail off her shoulder. “You can’t hope to defeat me! I am Lady Engelhardt’s most favored swordmaster!”

She was immediately checked by Knives’ body plowing into her at full speed, knocking the both of them onto the road. Lightning hopped onto the trunk, smiling. “Ha! You owe me!” she said.

Liberty rolled her eyes then picked up the Grief Seed. The driver made a move for a pistol, only for Lightning to quickly slice his head off, his body falling out of the car and sending it spinning out of control. It caught a rock on its wheel, and Liberty and Lightning hopped onto the road right before it capsized, throwing its occupants onto the ground. The two Magical Girls quickly dusted themselves off and checked that they had the Grief Seed still. Liberty held it in its hands, it was still no worse for wear.

Then they turned around to see the lead vehicle. A massive armored truck backing up to them. The doors on back flew open as the hulking trooper stepped out, the ground shattering from his sheer weight. He stood at seven feet, clad in the heaviest armor, wielding a 30mm Cannon, his face hidden behind gasmask and helmet. His eyes were obscured by the glowing red lenses of his gasmask. On his belt were three soul gems, their lights dimmed as they shook and clattered with every step he took. Lightning and Liberty balked, stepping backwards as he climbed out of the truck, cocking the Cannon and letting his immense shadow engulf them. They knew who he was.

>>31824068>Troops specifically made and trained to kill magical girls are complete pushoversReminds me that I need to start reading UQ holder. A squad of anti-immortal troops showed up and instead of getting whipped by the immortal MC they actually manhandle his ass. /a/ had a field day.

His cannon whirred as he brought it up to his hip. Liberty and Lightning jumped out of the way as he fired a full burst of 30mm Minengeschoss ammunition, blasting the road to pieces and setting nearby moss and brush aflame on contact. Lightning flash stepped around to his side and swung, only for the Storm Ace to block it with his cannon and push her away. Liberty charged, her shields spinning like circular saws and glowing with red hot energy. The Storm Ace dropped his cannon and planted his feet firmly on the ground, catching both punches from Liberty in his hands. Liberty pushed against him, her shields cutting into the Storm Aces hands, the smell of burnt flesh not even affecting her as the Storm Ace took the damage in the same way that a mountain took wind erosion.

"He's mine!" Lightning yelled as she recovered. She rushed at him, only for the Storm Ace to grab on tight to Liberty's shields and toss her right at Lightning, knocking them both to the ground on top of each other. They quickly picked themselves up and looked to see a charging squad of Gegenmagischtruppen running at them past the Storm Ace.

The two Magical Girls charged in return, bashing, punching, and slicing their way through. The troopers tried firing their rifles, their shots getting absorbed by Liberty's shields or missing Lightning entirely. Liberty punched and threw troopers out of her way, but the Storm Ace cut in with a hard fist to the face, sending her sliding across the ground and into the back of the truck's wheel. Lightning grabbed a fallen trooper's rifle and fired full auto at the Storm Ace, the bullets putting visible holes into the Storm Ace's heavy armor, but doing nothing else but get his attention. He stomped over and backhanded Lightning, sending her to the dirt ground. Lightning yelled as she held her cheek, "Why won't you die!?"

The Storm Ace responded with a boot to her face, being only a good step away from crushing her head against the ground. Lightning yelled incoherently, kicking and screaming. "Let her go!" shouted Liberty as she tossed her shield at the Storm Ace. He caught it an inch from his face, throwing it to the ground. Liberty rushed at him, screaming as she punched the Storm Ace in the gut, forcing him off Lightning. The Storm Ace took Liberty's punches like a complete champion, then raised his arm to punch. Liberty quickly brought her shield up, blocking the punch with a loud clang which echoed throughout the valley. The weight of the Storm Ace's punch dented her shield with an imprint of his fist and forced her a few inches into the ground.

Lightning got up and stepped next to Liberty, brandishing her naginata as the Storm Ace pulled his fist from Liberty's shield and stepped back. Liberty willed her dropped shield to return to her free wrist and prepared herself as reinforcements came in, more Gegenmagischtruppen, lesser Storm Elite, and larger and more powerful Magischjaeger wielding chainguns. They stepped back, wielding their weapons defensively as the guns were brought to bear. Numbers were just about to win the day.

Engelhardt and her four girls stepped out from the crowd, apparently no worse for wear. Engelhardt's face was hardened by a bit of frustration. "Enough games, Lady Liberty. The Grief Seed. Now."

Lightning said, "We can take you all on! Come at us!" Liberty nudged her with her elbow, urging her to shut up.

"What's so important about this thing?" asked Liberty. "Is it worth sending a quarter of the Magisch Korps at us?"

"I'd sacrifice the entire Korps for one," said Engelhardt. She held up a hand, to which the troopers raised their rifles, cocking them threateningly. "You know I honor my word, Liberty."

>>

GermanSchteel!!059cRXVD+M114. what do you know about tha(...)04/30/14(Wed)13:32:45 No.31824197

14. what do you know about that.GermanSchteel!!059cRXVD+M104/30/14(Wed)13:32:45No.31824197

In a few seconds, Liberty and Lightning were pulled up by a ladder hanging from a Hughes Autogyro, piloted by Magical Girl Bomber. Engelhardt swore in German, yelling loudly for her troops to fire. Tracers filled the sky as the Autogyro ducked and weaved, missing shots as Bomber expertly piloted the contraption away. Lightning and Liberty clung to the ladder, grinning as Engelhardt screamed to the heavens.

Liberty yelled, "So long you lousy Kraut bastards!"

Engelhardt screamed to the sky as her troops rushed to their vehicles, keen on following her. "Curse you, Liberty!"

The Autogyro flew away as Liberty and Lightning climbed into the backseat, ready to return to their zeppelin of call.

> The world of tomorrow needs a new kind of hero!> Tune in next time for another exciting episode of Magical Girl Liberty!

>>31824920Lily's had small parts in a couple of writeups but probably won't show up in the main quest for a while, and even then not in any strong sense. I've been surprised before.

Eve is pretty firmly in the Eighth and probably won't show up in the main quest, but may feature a little bit more in another thing I'm kicking around.

They're both major characters in an AU a few years down the line where the Unified Nations Party of Japan used the Yakumo to control witches and launch a large-scale attack on the United States as Warchief Lily Hartford of the Eighth and Eve Pearlharbor, the successor of the will of the El Santo Student Council, the US's finest defense against the nationalist puella.

That is actually a thing I've kicked around writing, but probably won't actually do.

>>31825683Yeah if Mala's flashback is any indication, the Dark Templars are honor bound simpletons who announce their presence and intent to do honorable combat Sneaky bullshit from the shadows sounds more like the sixteenth.

>>31825683Agreed. Officio who is most concerned about taking down witches in the most efficient manner is least likely to employ Callidus'es in their operations. However I deposit that them being invovled in the attack, while unlikely, is still a possibility. The losses suffered by their Black Templar squad fit the timeframe. They are foremost Witch hunting group so supposedly they have an advantage against Kharn due to the things done to her in the past. The bodies were removed from the site, which makes a cover up possible by showing up after the Walpurgisnacht has blown over to make their claims of betrayal. The way Kharn disects her victims is distinctive enough to act as proof for such an occassion. Lastly I'd say with how Ahriman turned about to be cuckoo for cocopuffs, there is a chance some are like that in other officios.

Now that is just baseless speculation on my part. QB was informed by Malal what happened to Kharn, so if the 2nd's claims of betrayal were filthy lies then he would have known and acted accordingly. Feel free to disregard my ramblings.